Manually retractable steering column assembly for autonomous vehicle

A manually retractable steering column assembly includes a retractable portion translatable upon exertion of a manual force applied by a driver, the retractable portion restricted to a first translation range during a standard driving mode and translatable within a second translation range during an autonomous driving mode, the second translation range greater than the first translation range.

Skip to: Description  ·  Claims  ·  References Cited  · Patent History  ·  Patent History
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments described herein relate to retractable steering column assemblies and, more particularly, to a manually retractable steering column assembly for an autonomous vehicle.

As autonomously driven vehicles are developed, a number of opportunities will evolve related to comfort, entertainment and functionality for drivers. Steering wheels are commonly limited to standard driving positions due to the need for a driver to handle the steering wheel during operation of the vehicle. These limitations may be unnecessary during an autonomous driving mode of a vehicle. For example, a steering wheel may be retracted to a stowed position to enlarge the space available to a driver. Many vehicles with stowable columns during autonomous driving utilize power column actuators to move the column into the stowed position. However, manually adjusted columns do not have stow capability and do not have the ability to communicate a driving mode status to potential autonomous system(s).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the disclosure, a manually retractable steering column assembly includes a retractable portion translatable upon exertion of a manual force applied by a driver. Also included is a stationary portion defining a slot path at least partially defined by a first end wall and a second end wall. Further included is a member operatively coupled to, and projecting outwardly from, the retractable portion. Yet further included is a gate operatively coupled to the stationary portion proximate the second end wall, the gate having an edge protruding into the slot path, the member extending through, and moveable within, the slot path during translation of the retractable portion, the first end wall and the edge of the gate defining a first translation range of the retractable portion available during a standard driving mode, the gate moveable to dispose the edge of the gate out of the slot path to allow a second translation range of the retractable portion available during an autonomous driving mode.

According to another aspect of the disclosure, a manually retractable steering column assembly includes a retractable portion translatable upon exertion of a manual force applied by a driver, the retractable portion restricted to a first translation range during a standard driving mode and translatable within a second translation range during an autonomous driving mode, the second translation range greater than the first translation range.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, a manually retractable steering column assembly for an autonomous vehicle includes a retractable portion translatable upon exertion of a manual force applied by a driver. Also included is a stationary portion defining a slot path at least partially defined by a first end wall and a second end wall. Further included is a member operatively coupled to, and projecting outwardly from, the retractable portion. Yet further included is a gate operatively coupled to the stationary portion proximate the second end wall, the gate restricting translation of the retractable portion to a first translation range during a standard driving mode, the gate moveable to allow a second translation range during an autonomous driving mode, the gate having a contoured recess for receiving the member in the autonomous driving mode, the member removable from the contoured recess to translate the retractable portion to the first translation range upon exertion of a force on the retractable portion toward the first end wall of the slot path.

These and other advantages and features will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion of the specification. The foregoing and other features, and advantages of the invention are apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a retractable steering column assembly in a first position; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the retractable steering column assembly in a second position.

 DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the Figures, where the invention will be described with reference to specific embodiments, without limiting same, illustrated is a portion of a steering column assembly 10. The steering column assembly 10 facilitates translation of a steering wheel (not shown) and a steering shaft in a manually retractable manner. This is particularly beneficial in embodiments where the assembly 10 is employed in a passenger vehicle equipped with Advanced Driver Assist System(s) (ADAS) to allow the vehicle to be autonomously, or semi-autonomously, controlled using sensing, steering, and/or braking technology. When the ADAS is activated, the steering wheel is not required for vehicle control in some situations. Retraction of the steering wheel and steering shaft toward, and possibly into, the instrument panel (e.g., dash) greatly enhances user comfort by providing a driver with more space when compared to typical ranges of repositioning available to a driver. The additional space provided facilitates additional workspace area or leg room, for example.

The embodiments described herein provide a manually retractable steering column which allows the steering wheel to be retracted to a greater extent while the vehicle is in an autonomous, or semi-autonomous, driving mode. The operating conditions described herein for the steering wheel are standard driving mode and an autonomous driving mode.

In the standard driving mode, the steering column assembly 10 is extended to a location that disposes the steering wheel in a position that is comfortably reached by a driver in a manner that allows the driver to fully handle and control the steering wheel. Adjustment over a first range of extended positions is possible in the standard driving mode, as shown in FIG. 1. During the standard driving mode, the driver may activate the ADAS through a vehicle interface, such as a switch or button. The steering column may be at least partially retracted in a manual manner into the instrument panel of the vehicle during a transition mode.

Extension and retraction of the steering column assembly 10 refers to translation of a retractable portion 16 of the steering column assembly 10. The retractable portion 16 includes one or more components that are translatable. For example, in addition to the aforementioned steering wheel and the steering shaft, a moveable portion 18, which may also be referred to as an upper jacket in some embodiments, is translatable relative to a stationary portion 20, which may be referred to as a lower jacket in some embodiments. In the autonomous driving mode, a second range of translation, or retraction, is available to the driver, with the second range of translation being greater than the first range that is available in the standard driving mode, as shown in FIG. 2 and as appreciated from the description herein. The second range of translation available to a driver allows for retraction of the steering column assembly 10 further into the instrument panel compared to the first range of translation.

The steering column assembly includes a member 36 that is operatively coupled to the moveable portion 18, and projects outwardly from the moveable portion 18. The member 36 projects through a slot 24 (also referred to herein as a slot path) defined by the stationary portion 20 of the steering column assembly 10 and partially constrained therein. In particular, the slot 24 is at least partially defined by a slot wall 26 having a first end wall 28 and a second end wall 30. The slot 24 extends substantially axially with respect to the longitudinal direction of the steering column assembly 10. The member 36 may include any variety of shapes, and may be a pin that may be substantially cylindrical, for example.

A gate 40 is operatively coupled to the stationary portion 20 proximate the second end wall 30 of the slot 24. The gate 40 may be formed of any shape, but includes an edge 42 regardless of the particular geometry. In the standard driving mode, the gate 40 is positioned to dispose at least a portion of the edge 42 within the slot 24 to limit the telescoping travel of the moveable portion 18 of the steering column assembly 10 by impeding the travel within the slot 24 of the member 36 protruding from the moveable portion 18. Specifically, the first end wall 28 and the edge 42 of the gate 40 define the above-described first range of translation. The boundary labeled with numeral 44 defines the full range of motion of the member 36, and therefore the moveable portion 18, in some embodiments (FIG. 1). Boundary 44 includes the first range of translation and a tilt, or rake, motion.

The gate 40 is moveable to remove the edge 42 from the slot 24 to avoid impeding the member 36 from additional translation. Upon removal of the edge 42 from the slot 24, the second range of translation is available to a driver. The second range of translation is only available when the vehicle is operated in the autonomous driving mode. Upon initiation of the autonomous driving mode, the gate 40 is moved to remove the edge 42 from the slot 24. This is carried out with an actuator 46 operatively coupled to the gate 40. The actuator 46 may be any suitable actuator, such as a solenoid or electric motor, for example. The actuator 46 is in operative communication with the ADAS 48 to determine if the vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode or the standard driving mode. The operative communication between the actuator 46 and the ADAS 48 may be wired or wireless. If the ADAS is activated (i.e., vehicle is in autonomous driving mode), the ADAS 48 provides a signal to the actuator 46 to impart movement of the gate 40 to remove the edge 42 from the slot 24. The ADAS may include a sensor or any other position detection structure to determine if the moveable portion 18 of the steering column assembly 10 is in a retracted condition (i.e., stowed position of steering column assembly 10).

Movement of the gate 40 may be carried out in several contemplated manners. For example, the actuator 46 may translate the gate 40 within a plane or may rotate the gate 40. Furthermore, a combination of translation and rotation may occur. Irrespective of the particular movement of the gate 40, the edge 42 is removed from the slot 24 to allow the member 36 to translate further along the slot 24.

The gate 40 also includes a contoured recess 50 that retains the member 36. In some embodiments, the contoured recess 50 includes an angled portion or portion with curvature that allows the vehicle operator to manually withdraw the steering column assembly from the stowed position to an extended position. The driver simply manually unclamps the steering column assembly 10 and exerts a manual force on the moveable portion 18 in a direction away from the instrument panel. In the stowed position, the member 36 is positioned within the contoured recess 50, but is removable upon exertion of the manual force based on the geometry of the angled portion. In particular, the angled portion or portion with curvature facilitates movement of the gate 40 during sliding of the member 36 therealong. Such motion allows the member 36 to be released from the contoured recess 50 of the gate 40 to place the member 36 in the portion of the slot 24 that restricts motion to the first range of translation. In an embodiment having this angled feature, the driver can disengage the ADAS by moving the steering column from the stowed position. In other embodiments, an angled feature is not present. Such embodiments require the ADAS system to activate the gate 40 via the actuator 46 before the column may be released from the stowed position.

The embodiments described herein facilitate conditional stowing of manually adjusted steering columns and enables ADAS with stowable columns in vehicles which do not package power adjustable columns.

While the invention has been described in detail in connection with only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent arrangements not heretofore described, but which are commensurate with the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally, while various embodiments of the invention have been described, it is to be understood that aspects of the invention may include only some of the described embodiments. Accordingly, the invention is not to be seen as limited by the foregoing description.

Claims

1. A manually retractable steering column assembly comprising:

a retractable portion translatable upon exertion of a manual force applied by a driver;
a stationary portion defining a slot path at least partially defined by a first end wall and a second end wall;
a member operatively coupled to, and projecting outwardly from, the retractable portion; and
a gate operatively coupled to the stationary portion proximate the second end wall, the gate having an edge protruding into the slot path, the member extending through, and moveable within, the slot path during translation of the retractable portion, the first end wall and the edge of the gate defining a first translation range of the retractable portion available during a standard driving mode, the gate moveable to dispose the edge of the gate out of the slot path to allow a second translation range of the retractable portion available during an autonomous driving mode.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the gate includes a contoured recess for receiving the member in the autonomous driving mode, the member removable from the contoured recess to translate the retractable portion to the first translation range upon exertion of a force on the retractable portion toward the first end wall of the slot path.

3. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising an actuator operatively coupled to the gate to impart movement of the gate.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the actuator comprises an electric motor.

5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the actuator comprises a solenoid.

6. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the actuator is in operative communication with an advanced driver assist system (ADAS) to determine if a vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode or the standard driving mode.

7. The assembly of claim 6, wherein the ADAS comprises a sensor to determine if the retractable portion is in a stowed condition.

8. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the actuator translates the gate.

9. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the actuator pivots the gate.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the member comprises a cylindrical pin.

11. A manually retractable steering column assembly comprising a retractable portion translatable upon exertion of a manual force applied by a driver, and a stationary portion attached thereto, the retractable portion restricted to a first translation range during a standard driving mode and translatable within a second translation range during an autonomous driving mode, a gate operatively coupled to the stationary portion, the gate restricting translation of the retractable portion to the first translation range during the standard driving mode, the gate moveable to allow the second translation range during the autonomous driving mode, the second translation range greater than the first translation range.

12. A manually retractable steering column assembly for an autonomous vehicle comprising:

a retractable portion translatable upon exertion of a manual force applied by a driver;
a stationary portion defining a slot path at least partially defined by a first end wall and a second end wall;
a member operatively coupled to, and projecting outwardly from, the retractable portion; and
a gate operatively coupled to the stationary portion proximate the second end wall, the gate restricting translation of the retractable portion to a first translation range during a standard driving mode, the gate moveable to allow a second translation range during an autonomous driving mode, the gate having a contoured recess for receiving the member in the autonomous driving mode, the member removable from the contoured recess to translate the retractable portion to the first translation range upon exertion of a force on the retractable portion toward the first end wall of the slot path.

13. The assembly of claim 12, further comprising an actuator operatively coupled to the gate to impart movement of the gate.

14. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the actuator comprises an electric motor.

15. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the actuator comprises a solenoid.

16. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the actuator is in operative communication with an advanced driver assist system (ADAS) to determine if a vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode or the standard driving mode.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the ADAS comprises a sensor to determine if the retractable portion is in a stowed condition.

18. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the actuator translates the gate.

19. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the actuator pivots the gate.

20. The assembly of claim 12, wherein the member comprises a cylindrical pin.

21. A manually retractable steering column assembly comprising a retractable portion translatable upon exertion of a manual force applied by a driver, the retractable portion restricted to a first translation range during a standard driving mode and translatable within a second translation range during an autonomous driving mode, the second translation range having an autonomous range outside the first translation range, the retractable portion configured to be manually extensible from the autonomous range to the first translation range.

Referenced Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4138167 February 6, 1979 Ernst et al.
4315117 February 9, 1982 Kokubo et al.
4337967 July 6, 1982 Yoshida et al.
4503300 March 5, 1985 Lane, Jr.
4503504 March 5, 1985 Suzumura et al.
4561323 December 31, 1985 Stromberg
4691587 September 8, 1987 Farrand et al.
4836566 June 6, 1989 Birsching
4921066 May 1, 1990 Conley
4962570 October 16, 1990 Hosaka et al.
4967618 November 6, 1990 Matsumoto et al.
4976239 December 11, 1990 Hosaka
5240284 August 31, 1993 Takada et al.
5295712 March 22, 1994 Omura
5319803 June 7, 1994 Allen
5488555 January 30, 1996 Asgari
5618058 April 8, 1997 Byon
5668721 September 16, 1997 Chandy
5690362 November 25, 1997 Peitsmeier et al.
5765116 June 9, 1998 Wilson-Jones et al.
5893580 April 13, 1999 Hoagland et al.
5911789 June 15, 1999 Keipert et al.
6070686 June 6, 2000 Pollmann
6170862 January 9, 2001 Hoagland et al.
6227571 May 8, 2001 Sheng
6301534 October 9, 2001 McDermott, Jr.
6354622 March 12, 2002 Ulbrich et al.
6360149 March 19, 2002 Kwon et al.
6373472 April 16, 2002 Palalau et al.
6381526 April 30, 2002 Higashi et al.
6390505 May 21, 2002 Wilson
6578449 June 17, 2003 Anspaugh et al.
6612393 September 2, 2003 Bohner et al.
6819990 November 16, 2004 Ichinose
7021416 April 4, 2006 Kapaan et al.
7048305 May 23, 2006 Muller
7062365 June 13, 2006 Fei
7295904 November 13, 2007 Kanevsky et al.
7308964 December 18, 2007 Hara et al.
7428944 September 30, 2008 Gerum
7461863 December 9, 2008 Muller
7495584 February 24, 2009 Sorensen
7628244 December 8, 2009 Chino et al.
7719431 May 18, 2010 Bolourchi
7735405 June 15, 2010 Parks
7793980 September 14, 2010 Fong
7862079 January 4, 2011 Fukawatase et al.
7894951 February 22, 2011 Norris et al.
7909361 March 22, 2011 Oblizajek et al.
8002075 August 23, 2011 Markfort
8027767 September 27, 2011 Klein et al.
8055409 November 8, 2011 Tsuchiya
8069745 December 6, 2011 Strieter et al.
8079312 December 20, 2011 Long
8146945 April 3, 2012 Born et al.
8170725 May 1, 2012 Chin et al.
8260482 September 4, 2012 Szybalski et al.
8352110 January 8, 2013 Szybalski et al.
8479605 July 9, 2013 Shavrnoch et al.
8548667 October 1, 2013 Kaufmann
8606455 December 10, 2013 Boehringer et al.
8634980 January 21, 2014 Urmson et al.
8650982 February 18, 2014 Matsuno et al.
8670891 March 11, 2014 Szybalski et al.
8695750 April 15, 2014 Hammond et al.
8818608 August 26, 2014 Cullinane et al.
8825258 September 2, 2014 Cullinane et al.
8825261 September 2, 2014 Szybalski et al.
8843268 September 23, 2014 Lathrop et al.
8874301 October 28, 2014 Rao et al.
8880287 November 4, 2014 Lee et al.
8881861 November 11, 2014 Tojo
8899623 December 2, 2014 Stadler et al.
8909428 December 9, 2014 Lombrozo
8948993 February 3, 2015 Schulman et al.
8950543 February 10, 2015 Heo et al.
8994521 March 31, 2015 Gazit
9002563 April 7, 2015 Green et al.
9031729 May 12, 2015 Lathrop et al.
9032835 May 19, 2015 Davies et al.
9045078 June 2, 2015 Tovar et al.
9073574 July 7, 2015 Cuddihy et al.
9092093 July 28, 2015 Jubner et al.
9108584 August 18, 2015 Rao et al.
9134729 September 15, 2015 Szybalski et al.
9150200 October 6, 2015 Urhahne
9150224 October 6, 2015 Yopp
9164619 October 20, 2015 Goodlein
9174642 November 3, 2015 Wimmer et al.
9186994 November 17, 2015 Okuyama et al.
9193375 November 24, 2015 Schramm et al.
9199553 December 1, 2015 Cuddihy et al.
9227531 January 5, 2016 Cuddihy et al.
9233638 January 12, 2016 Lisseman et al.
9235111 January 12, 2016 Davidsson et al.
9235987 January 12, 2016 Green et al.
9238409 January 19, 2016 Lathrop et al.
9248743 February 2, 2016 Enthaler et al.
9260130 February 16, 2016 Mizuno
9290174 March 22, 2016 Zagorski
9290201 March 22, 2016 Lombrozo
9298184 March 29, 2016 Bartels et al.
9308857 April 12, 2016 Lisseman et al.
9308891 April 12, 2016 Cudak et al.
9333983 May 10, 2016 Lathrop et al.
9352752 May 31, 2016 Cullinane et al.
9360865 June 7, 2016 Yopp
20030046012 March 6, 2003 Yamaguchi
20030094330 May 22, 2003 Boloorchi et al.
20030227159 December 11, 2003 Muller
20040016588 January 29, 2004 Vitale et al.
20040046346 March 11, 2004 Eki et al.
20040099468 May 27, 2004 Chernoff et al.
20040129098 July 8, 2004 Gayer et al.
20040204808 October 14, 2004 Satoh et al.
20040262063 December 30, 2004 Kaufmann et al.
20050001445 January 6, 2005 Ercolano
20050081675 April 21, 2005 Oshita et al.
20050197746 September 8, 2005 Pelchen et al.
20050275205 December 15, 2005 Ahnafield
20060224287 October 5, 2006 Izawa et al.
20060244251 November 2, 2006 Muller
20070021889 January 25, 2007 Tsuchiya
20070029771 February 8, 2007 Haglund et al.
20070046003 March 1, 2007 Mori et al.
20070046013 March 1, 2007 Bito
20070241548 October 18, 2007 Fong
20070284867 December 13, 2007 Cymbal et al.
20080009986 January 10, 2008 Lu et al.
20080028884 February 7, 2008 Monash
20080238068 October 2, 2008 Kumar et al.
20090024278 January 22, 2009 Kondo et al.
20090256342 October 15, 2009 Cymbal et al.
20090276111 November 5, 2009 Wang et al.
20090292466 November 26, 2009 McCarthy et al.
20100152952 June 17, 2010 Lee et al.
20100222976 September 2, 2010 Haug
20100228417 September 9, 2010 Lee et al.
20100228438 September 9, 2010 Buerkle
20100280713 November 4, 2010 Stahlin et al.
20100286869 November 11, 2010 Katch et al.
20100288567 November 18, 2010 Bonne
20110098922 April 28, 2011 Ibrahim
20110153160 June 23, 2011 Hesseling et al.
20110167940 July 14, 2011 Shavrnoch et al.
20110187518 August 4, 2011 Strumolo et al.
20110266396 November 3, 2011 Abildgaard et al.
20110282550 November 17, 2011 Tada et al.
20120136540 May 31, 2012 Miller
20120205183 August 16, 2012 Rombold
20120209473 August 16, 2012 Birsching et al.
20120215377 August 23, 2012 Takemura et al.
20130002416 January 3, 2013 Gazit
20130087006 April 11, 2013 Ohtsubo et al.
20130158771 June 20, 2013 Kaufmann
20130218396 August 22, 2013 Moshchuk et al.
20130233117 September 12, 2013 Read et al.
20130325202 December 5, 2013 Howard et al.
20140028008 January 30, 2014 Stadler et al.
20140046542 February 13, 2014 Kauffman et al.
20140046547 February 13, 2014 Kauffman et al.
20140111324 April 24, 2014 Lisseman et al.
20140300479 October 9, 2014 Wolter et al.
20140309816 October 16, 2014 Stefan et al.
20150002404 January 1, 2015 Hooton
20150014086 January 15, 2015 Eisenbarth
20150032322 January 29, 2015 Wimmer
20150051780 February 19, 2015 Hahne
20150060185 March 5, 2015 Feguri
20150120142 April 30, 2015 Park et al.
20150210273 July 30, 2015 Kaufmann et al.
20150246673 September 3, 2015 Tseng et al.
20150251666 September 10, 2015 Attard et al.
20150283998 October 8, 2015 Lind et al.
20150324111 November 12, 2015 Jubner et al.
20150375769 December 31, 2015 Abboud
20160009332 January 14, 2016 Sirbu
20160075371 March 17, 2016 Varunjikar et al.
20160082867 March 24, 2016 Sugioka et al.
20160185387 June 30, 2016 Kuoch
20160200246 July 14, 2016 Lisseman et al.
20160200343 July 14, 2016 Lisseman et al.
20160200344 July 14, 2016 Sugioka
20160207538 July 21, 2016 Urano et al.
20160209841 July 21, 2016 Yamaoka et al.
20160229450 August 11, 2016 Basting et al.
20160231743 August 11, 2016 Bendewald et al.
20160244070 August 25, 2016 Bendewald
20160318540 November 3, 2016 King
20160318542 November 3, 2016 Pattok et al.
20160347347 December 1, 2016 Lubischer
20160347348 December 1, 2016 Lubischer
20160362084 December 15, 2016 Martin et al.
20160362117 December 15, 2016 Kaufmann et al.
20160362126 December 15, 2016 Lubischer
20160368522 December 22, 2016 Lubischer
20160375860 December 29, 2016 Lubischer
20160375923 December 29, 2016 Schulz
20160375925 December 29, 2016 Lubischer et al.
20160375926 December 29, 2016 Lubischer et al.
20160375927 December 29, 2016 Schulz et al.
20160375928 December 29, 2016 Magnus
20160375929 December 29, 2016 Rouleau
20160375931 December 29, 2016 Lubischer
20170029009 February 2, 2017 Rouleau
20170029018 February 2, 2017 Lubischer
20170113712 April 27, 2017 Watz
Foreign Patent Documents
1722030 January 2006 CN
1736786 February 2006 CN
101041355 September 2007 CN
101596903 December 2009 CN
102452391 May 2012 CN
103419840 December 2013 CN
19523214 January 1997 DE
19923012 November 2000 DE
10212782 October 2003 DE
102005032528 January 2007 DE
102005056438 June 2007 DE
102006025254 December 2007 DE
102010025197 December 2011 DE
1559630 August 2005 EP
1783719 May 2007 EP
1932745 June 2008 EP
2384946 November 2011 EP
2426030 March 2012 EP
2489577 August 2012 EP
2604487 June 2013 EP
1606149 May 2014 EP
2862595 May 2005 FR
3016327 July 2015 FR
H05162652 June 1993 JP
20100063433 June 2010 KR
2006099483 September 2006 WO
2010082394 July 2010 WO
2010116518 October 2010 WO
Other references
  • China Patent Application No. 201510204221.5 Second Office Action dated Mar. 10, 2017, 8 pages.
  • CN Patent Application No. 201210599006.6 First Office Action dated Jan. 27, 2015, 9 pages.
  • CN Patent Application No. 201210599006.6 Second Office Action dated Aug. 5, 2015, 5 pages.
  • CN Patent Application No. 201310178012.9 First Office Action dated Apr. 13, 2015, 13 pages.
  • CN Patent Application No. 201310178012.9 Second Office Action dated Dec. 28, 2015, 11 pages.
  • CN Patent Application No. 201410089167 First Office Action and Search Report dated Feb. 3, 2016, 9 pages.
  • EP Application No. 14156903.8 Extended European Search Report, dated Jan. 27, 2015, 10 pages.
  • EP Application No. 14156903.8 Office Action dated Nov. 16, 2015, 4 pages.
  • EP Application No. 14156903.8 Office Action dated May 31, 2016, 5 pages.
  • EP Application No. 14156903.8 Partial European Search Report dated Sep. 23, 2014, 6 pages.
  • EP Application No. 15152834.6 Extended European Search Report dated Oct. 8, 2015, 7 pages.
  • European Application No. 12196665.9 Extended European Search Report dated Mar. 6, 2013, 7 pages.
  • European Search Report for European Application No. 13159950.8; dated Jun. 6, 2013; 7 pages.
  • European Search Report for related European Application No. 15152834.6, dated Oct. 8, 2015; 7 pages.
  • Gillespie, Thomas D.; “Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics”; Society of Automotive Enginers, Inc.; published 1992; 294 pages.
  • Kichun, et al.; “Development of Autonomous Car—Part II: A Case Study on the Implementation of an Autonomous Driving System Based on Distributed Architecture”; IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, vol. 62, No. 8, Aug. 2015; 14 pages.
  • Partial European Search Report for related European Patent Application No. 14156903.8, dated Sep. 23, 2014, 6 pages.
  • Van Der Jagt, Pim; “Prediction of steering efforts during stationary or slow rolling parking maneuvers”; Jul. 2013, 20 pages.
  • Varunjikar, Tejas; Design of Horizontal Curves With DownGrades Using Low-Order Vehicle Dynamics Models; A Theisis by T. Varunkikar; 2011; 141 pages.
Patent History
Patent number: 9862403
Type: Grant
Filed: Nov 29, 2016
Date of Patent: Jan 9, 2018
Assignee: STEERING SOLUTIONS IP HOLDING CORPORATION (Saginaw, MI)
Inventors: James E. Rouleau (Burt, MI), Todd M. King (Saginaw, MI)
Primary Examiner: Nicole T Verley
Application Number: 15/363,517
Classifications
Current U.S. Class: By Preventing Unauthorized Or Unintended Access Or Use (180/287)
International Classification: B62D 1/181 (20060101); B62D 1/183 (20060101); B62D 1/185 (20060101);